By Phil D. Jay

Martin Rogan turning up unannounced seemed to go down like a lead balloon with British and Commonwealth champion Tyson Fury as the double belt-holder got a few things off his chest to ‘Big Rogie’ when the future challenger took to the microphone at the media announcement of his next fight.

The 23 year-old will fight in Belfast at the King’s Hall on September 17th and had initially offered the fight to Rogan, 40, who claimed he would be under prepared for the bout, turning down a career best purse to avoid taking the contest at short notice.

The first ever Prizefighter champion then turned up at the press conference after claiming his reputation had been tarnished by comments made in the media, to which Fury then retaliated.

“First off, I think it’s far out for you to say on one side of the coin that I am a coward and I am scared of you and then two days ago calling me a bully,” stated Rogan.

“It says a lot if you’re putting it in the papers and I have not said a word.

“I have got a lot of respect for you and I know that you’re getting chosen to say the things that you’re saying and I know it’s nothing to do with yourself Tyson because you are a fighter like myself and I respect that very much.”

Fury then replied by cutting in to Rogan in mid-flow: “I have always has a decent relationship with you Martin yeah, I came over and I sparred with you when I was 17 year-old.

“We had some rounds and to be honest with you we never had a falling out. I was nice to you, you were nice to me and we had a chat for a good hour or so.

“Then you turned round to Mick Hennessy and said you were gonna knock my face in, knock me out and do this and do that, which I never said a thing about you until that yeah.

“So if someone talks about you behind your back and doesn’t say it to your face yeah, obviously I am going to say it back.

“To be honest with you, I had no bad words to say about you, I am a man of honour. If I have got something to say to a man, I will say it to his face.

“I have nothing to hide from you, the fight is open. If you want the fight take it,” he added.

Rogan then stepped back in, “I haven’t had the preparation properly,” he explained.

“I would have fought you and I would have knocked you out and I stand up to what I said.”

A potential fight between the two with the Irish heavyweight title on the line is now unlikely to take place until at least November and Fury may now have to choose whether to challenge Irish beltholder Coleman Barrett in order to gain the title and defend it against Rogan.

Fury's promoter, Mick Hennessy, has laughed at the idea of giving former European titleholder Audley Harrison a shot. Harrison, 39 and a former Olympic champion, has been constantly linked with a bout with Fury and he recently expressed his own interest in getting the Manchester-born fighter in the ring when he returns to boxing.

"I've just brought Channel 5 into boxing - I don't want to chase them away!" stated Hennessy.

Phil D. Jay covers the boxing scene for worldboxingnews.net